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Tuesday, 21 August 2012

Social Blogger Alai arrested in Kenya

Kenyan Police on Tuesday,August 21 arrested social media blogger Robert Alai whom they called for questioning over alleged abuse
of the Kenya Information and Communication Act.

Provincial Criminal Investigation
Department (CID) office in Nairobi had earlier said that they had received a complaint
from government spokesman Alfred Mutua and Communication Commission of Kenya
that Alai has been abusing sections of the Act forcing them to summon him.

He is expected in court on Wednesday to face charges of abusing the Act.

Regional CID boss
Nicholas Kamwende had said that he wanted Alai to report to his office as soon as
possible to clarify some issues he has been highlighting on social media
twitter and other channels.

“ He has
violated sections 26, 29 and 30 of the Act and we feel he should come and tell
us more,” said Kamwende on phone.

The police boss said
they would take further action if the blogger fails to honor their summons.

Government spokesman
Dr. Mutua who is a former Journalist according to Police sources recorded a
statement at the CID offices saying the blogger had been peddling rumors on the
social media linking him to the killings of human rights activists Oscar
Kingara and Paul Oulu.

The two met their
death when assailants waylaid them along State House Road in the city in 2008
and no one has been arrested since then.

Efforts to reach Alai
to confirm whether he has received the Police summons were futile as his mobile
phone number we were given was silent throughout the morning of Sunday, August
19.

Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said police are now monitoring abuses of social media and warned against the practice saying those found will face the law.

Kenya is keen to
ensure that the media acts in a responsible manner as the country nears the
General election to be held in M arch next year and has indicated that some
social media sites not Peace
Forum Journal have the tendency of
spreading rumors and propaganda.